Chapter 994: Questionable Sources of Information
*Bing-Bong*
The following dialogue is in Tide Tongue.
*Bing-Bong*
____Meanwhile, in Roaring Tide…___
“Either I’m going crazy or this thing looks even more vicious than the last time I saw it.”
“You’re not, we just finished feeding. See the floating carrion in the bubble?”
“Ah…that’s why.”
On the beaches of Blessed Willow Island, a pair of Zhen Clan guards were keeping watch of a floating bubble containing a sixth tier [Luminescent Wolf Eel]. The guards themselves weren’t exactly privy on the details as to how and why their matriarch capture this vicious looking aether beast, but they were tasked to keep watch of it. Especially on this particular day.
“So…why are we watching this eel today? I thought it was supposed to be kept in one of the underwater caves.”
“Huh? You didn’t hear? The matriarch is meeting with an Imperial Alchemist about this here eel. And she wanted to keep it close for ease of access.”
“Yeah, that sounds about…wait a minute, an Imperial Alchemist? Here? How and why?!”
“Oh. Right, I guess that’s considered deep family lore…”
The reason for the guard’s shock was due to the fact that the title of “Imperial Alchemist”, was only given to the top five alchemists in the entirety of the Pearl Scale Empire. These alchemists varied in terms of background, general cultivation ability and age, but they all shared the same trait of being able to effortlessly produce Sixth Grade and below aether medicines and elixirs.
Anything higher than six took them time, but they could still get it done.
All that stated, the Imperial Alchemists were known to be very picky with their clientele and very choosing with whom they give their concoctions to. So the fact that the Painted War Demoness was on speaking terms with an Imperial Alchemist was…shocking to say the least.
Then again, the reason why she knew her was even more shocking.
“Long story short, you know the story of how the Matriarch met her husband?”
“Yeah…it’s pretty infamous that she…wait…you don’t mean-!”
“That the woman she stole her man from is the Imperial Alchemist she’s meeting with? Yup.”
“But there’s only one woman in the roster right now…hold up, you mean to tell me that the woman she stole her man from is…”
“Yup. The [Witch of Frostfire].”
“Holy crap…”
…
“So what you think, Nun Hua? Would this particular case be of interest to ya?”
“…”
“Nun Hua?”
In a large sitting room, characterized by decorated jade pillars and a large ebony wood table, two strikingly different women were having a conversation.
On one side was a woman that physically looked to be in her late teens, early twenties, but had the aura of a veteran who had lived through several wars and enjoyed having done so. Covering her arms and back was a collection of tattoos, both mystic and mundane, that seemed to be an integral part of her identity.
This woman was none other than Zhen Xun Tian, Matriarch of the Zhen Clan’s main branch, and infamous troublemaker of the Pearl Scale Empire.
One would eh hard pressed to believe that this woman was over a hundred years old, at minimum.
“Nun Hua?”
Sitting across from her was a decidedly more mature looking, curvaceous woman known as Nun Hua. Looking to be late twenties, early thirties, and dressed in a blue and white alchemist’s robe, one would assume at a glance that this Nun Hua was the older sister/senpai of Zhen Xun Tian. In reality, they were about the same age.
Completing the ensemble was a golden medallion that carried the symbol of the Imperial Alchemists, placed on the lapel of this robe.
In terms of status, this meant that Nun Hua was technically higher than Zhen Xun Tian, and that she should be demanding that the latter treat her with the respect that came with the title.
In reality, the two of them were…technically friends.
To make a very long story short, Zhen Xun Tian accidentally stole Nun Hua’s boyfriend from her decades ago and had married him.
This sort of action would normally be the grounds for a blood feud that would last until the end of time, but Zhen Xun Tian had actually made it up to her by helping her find someone that was better suited for her. As such, the two became friends even when their lives took drastically different paths of prestige.
Which is why, instead of formal speech, the two of them were able to talk to each other like…this.
“Nun Hua, are you o-”
SOUND OF ANGRY SCROLL SLAMMING AGAINST A TABLE!
“HOW THE EVERLOVING FUCK DID YOU GET YOUR HANDS ON THIS?!,” Nun Hua shouted with extreme fervor and a manic expression as blue and white flames flared from her body. A display befitting the woman known as the [Witch of Frostfire].
“Nun Hua, chill it with the [Spirit Flames].”
“Ah, right. Sorry, sorry.”
In the same way Zhen Xun Tian had a focus on tattoos, Nun Hua had a focus on all things alchemy.
Whether it was newly crafted advancements, strange side tangent recipes with similar effects or rediscovering lost and ancient wisdom, Nun Hua was obsessed with learning all that could be done and learned from alchemy.
So when Zhen Xun Tian contacted her about a weird alchemical recipe that could mutate aquatic based aether beasts into being able to transport people, Nun Hua basically dropped everything to see if it was true.
Thankfully, she wasn’t screwed over.
Unfortunately, she had a lot to questions.
Well, one major one.
“Oh come on, is it really that rare?,” Zhen Xun Tian asked in a nonchalant tone of voice. “You’ve known me for years now, and you know I have a habit of picking up weird stuff. What’s so special about this scroll?”
“What’s so special about-how are you the leader of one of the Great Clans and not know?!,” Nun Hua asked in an incredulous tone while banging her fist on the table in frustration. Of course, she made sure to move the scroll out of the way before she did.
“Know what, exactly?,” Zhen Xun Tian asked with an expression akin to an amused cat. She also always found it sort of funny and adorable whenever Nun Hua got riled up like this.
“That recipe, this recipe, the [Mutated Vessel Elixir], is not only an incredibly rare eighth tier elixir, meaning the ingredients I need to make it are stupid rare as well, but don’t you recognize the seal imprinted in the corner of the scroll? Right here?”
At Nun Hua’s insistence, Zhen Xun Tian looked over to see that in the lower right hand corner was an emblem in the shape of a pair of hands holding a globe.
She obviously didn’t recognize it, but the design was pretty at least.
“Cool emblem…what’s it mean?”
“Are you fucking-okay,” Nun Hua stopped herself before explaining. “You recall how in practically every history book, they talk about how there used to be seven types of Aetherii? With the most powerful being the Omninari?”
“The Aetherii who could use all forms of aether with ease and tried to unite the world under the rule of the Omnipotent Emperor and Omniscient Empress through conquest?,” Zhen Xun Tian recited out of learned habit. “What about them?”
Nun Hua let out a deep sigh before going on yet another explanatory rant.
‘Why am I friends with this crazy bitch?,’ Hun Hua asked herself before remembering the jade marriage bracelet on her wrist. ‘Right…okay.’
“When they went on their conquest, they not only had stupidly powerful warriors that took at least three times as many experts to take down,” Nun Hua began to explain. “But they also had figured out ways to sneak in and out of every continent making use of their weak points.”
“Weak points?”
“You know how every continent has a place that’s considered borderline impossible to live in? We have the [Abyssal Lands], Soaring Griffon has the [Howling Wastes], etcetera?”
“Ah, got it.”
“Back to the main topic though, the Omninari had figured out ways to traverse these no-man lands safely in ways that we’re still trying to work around.”
At this statement, Nun Hua made it a point to pick up the scroll so that Zhen Xun Tian could understand the point. “This elixir was one of those ways! I think.”
“You think?”
“The history books say that the Omninari popped in and out of the [Abyssal Lands] like beasts, and the records are painfully vague. So I’m guessing this is how.”
“Ah…wait, so why is it so shocking I have this? You know I’ve explored ruins before.”
In Zhen Xun Tian’s head, the Omninari ruins was a reasonable explanation for the scroll’s existence.
She was wrong.
“See I would believe you on that, if it wasn’t a known fact that the Omninari capital, their home island, and them, were wiped off the face of the planet by the [Devout Heretic]!”
“Oh yeah…”
“So I ask again, Zhen Xun Tian, where did you get this scroll?”
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS
Mizako
As a special treat for getting this far… here’s a pin-up.
https://x.com/HauntFrost/status/1808536783820390844?t=HItAevU12g8v7oNA0WbfXQ&s=19
It will be posted as a comment later…maybe as the header?
